Android Accessibility Suite

Modern phones complicate information access on behalf of blind users. Android Accessibility Suite is a service that simplifies the use of these devices

The tool for visually impaired Android users

Today, our society wants to ensure universal accessibility for all, removing barriers that hinder interaction and access to the services, goods and products necessary in our lives.

In order to achieve this accessibility for blind or partially sighted users, we need to build a bridge of communication and information. For this purpose, acoustic signals have been developed, as well as film and video description methods, technical aids, audio guides, etc. All measures considered necessary to help blind people to find their way around.

Google also wants to make its contribution in this area and enable all relevant users to access its mobile operating system. Android Accessibility Suite is an accessibility service that helps visually impaired users to move around and explore the options and applications of their smartphones much more easily. This service adds voice messages and vibrations to the device so that we can select options without having to access them directly and plays the text that appears on the screen using speech synthesis or text-to-speech.

How to enable TalkBack

This useful option for Google's operating system, which manages to bring technology to people who already have to avoid enough barriers in daily life, is easy to activate:

1. Step 1: Go to the specific configuration of your smartphone and follow the path Settings > General > Accessibility > Vision.
2. Step 2: Check the Talkback option, read the warning and accept the pop-up message.
3. Step 3: Once started, the phone behaves differently. With a single tap of a button or area, our smartphone only selects the area, allowing the user to identify it with that accessibility when needed. To open the menu or application, you need to double-tap. Also, you have to use two fingers instead of one to scroll.

Requirements and further information:

• Minimum operating system requirements: Android 5.0.